BE! Words

Have you seen the super cute "BE" bulletin board? I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it, printed all the words, cut them out, and laminated them. And then I thought, "now what?" I am a strong believer that the walls of my classroom should be student created. So to me, it seemed silly that I would just hang up these BE Words without a purpose.

At the beginning of the school year, we use one word a day, sometimes multiple days, and sometimes for the entire week. I post the word up on the board for as long as we feel necessary. For the time that the word is posted on the board, we focus on what it means, read books that share the same message, and write about how we display the trait. It becomes a focus in our classroom.

For example, one of the words in our set is "a hard-worker". When this word is posted up on the board, we share during morning meeting what is means to be a hard-worker. During a different time in our day, my students and I will share a way that we will be a hard-worker this year. In the past, we have read the book The Most Magnificent Thing (we also use the same books for other words) and discuss how the character displays the trait of being a hard-worker. Lastly, my students and I will write and draw about someone we know who is a hard-worker and/or about how we will be a hard-worker. They will share their writing and picture with a partner. After we feel that we all know the word and its meaning, one of my students will post it up on the wall. 

I have found that when we focus on these words and traits, take time to talk about them, and involve students in the creating of the classroom culture, they are more likely to refer to those words and act on them. 

What do you and your students do to create a positive classroom community?

Reading Challenges

Last year I ditched traditional Reading Logs because my students weren't completing them nor were they engaged with their reading at home. My goal is to always create a love for literacy; not to make reading a chore or a job. I also understand that kids spend all day at school. They deserve to go home and play outside with their friends. My hope with creating Reading Challenges is that kids would go home and complete them while having fun and making it their own.

Every Friday a new challenge went home and it was due the following Friday. Most challenges were just a one week challenge however, some were 2-3 weeks depending on the length of the challenge. My students knew that as soon as they finished, they could bring it back and get another one. For every Reading Challenge that they returned, they received a star by their name. Once they had 4 stars next to their name, they received the "Radical Reader Reward". On their reward, they could choose something they would like to do the following day such as bring a stuffy to school, no shoes for the day, inside recess with a friend, show & tell, etc.

My students loved the Reading Challenges; not only did I get feedback from my students about them, but I had parents letting me know how much they loved them! They were successful in completing the challenges all year long.

Here is what a few of our challenges looked like:




Keep in mind, these challenges were made for 2nd graders and suited my students for that year. You may have to adjust some of the challenges and the rewards depending on the grade that you teach.

How do you make reading fun at home for your students? I am always looking for new ideas and I would love to hear about it!

Classroom Libraries

My students and I spend a lot of time (too much if you ask some people) on our classroom library at the beginning of the year. It is so important to me that my students and I create a classroom library that is relatable and functional.

As an adult, I don't go to Barnes and Noble, find my blue bin with a level "J" or "16" on it, and choose a book to read. I am able to choose from a wide variety of books that interest me. No one is telling me where to look or what to choose. I am not using a 5 finger rule or making sure the book is easy enough for me to read. I am looking for a book based solely on my interest.

Therefore, at the beginning of the school year, I give my students a ton of time to browse and look through the library. I have books already all sorted out (fiction people, fiction animals, space, sports, etc) and in bins. Then, I allow my students to sit in a small group and browse through the books in the bins. Some days, the groups will take 30-45 minutes on one bin! After they have had time to browse, we talk about the characteristics of those books, why they are in that specific bin, and put on a label on the bin that they choose. This way, they have ownership over our library, they are talking about books (which is like music to my ears!!), and they most likely have an idea of what type of books they like and where they are located.

Here is just a small part of our library and what it ends up looking like:

 

So simple, yet, it creates a world of difference for my students!

How do you create a classroom library that is functional and relatable for students?

Embracing the Change

As I said in my first post, I not only moved grade levels for the upcoming school year, but I moved to a new state! The picture below is my current classroom and to be honest, it's looking pretty good.

I am someone who loves change. Along with change, comes challenges. I am choosing to embrace these challenges. Although there is a lot of work to still be done in my classroom, I really enjoy the quiet mornings sorting through all my "stuff" with my country music on high. What could be more relaxing?

I will post another photo of the end product. But for now, happy cleaning, organizing, and creating for the new year!

Welcome!

Hello all! Welcome to teach.grow.learn!

My name is Amber. I am an elementary teacher with a passion for literacy. For the last 3 years, I have taught 2nd grade in South Dakota. While I love teaching 2nd grade, I am embarking on a new journey in North Dakota where I will be teaching 3rd grade.

Aside from teaching, I love: coffee, children's literature, baking, my Chocolate Lab pup Lucy, yoga, and being outside.

I hope this blog finds you well and in hopes to teach, learn, and grow with me! Enjoy!